Vice Chairman of the National Boundary Commission Tran Duy Hai stated
that Vietnam has made every effort and shown every gesture of goodwill
to solve the current tension in the East Sea, which was sparked by
China’s illegal placement of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam’s
waters, via negotiations and peaceful solutions but China has responded
in an unconstructive manner.
China has not only failed to respond to Vietnam’s goodwill but come up
with baseless accusations that have distorted the facts and slandered
Vietnamese ships of ramming against Chinese vessels more than 1,500
times, he said, adding that China has not provided any real proof to
support its accusations.
Meanwhile, according to Hai, Vietnam has publicised many pieces of
evidence, by photos and video clips, capturing China’s aggressive,
violent acts such as ramming against and firing water cannons at
Vietnam’s ships, sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat, and injuring tens of
Vietnamese people.
“Once again, Vietnam resolutely demands China respect international law,
immediately stop violations of the sovereign right and jurisdiction of
Vietnam in its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, withdraw
the Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig and escort vehicles from Vietnam’s
waters, and never repeat similar acts in the future,” he stressed.
Vietnam continues to request China to solve all disputes through
peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he added.
Nguyen Quoc Thap, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Oil
and Gas Group, declared that it is completely groundless and void for
China to state that Vietnam’s 57 oil and gas lots are in disputed waters
basing on its “U-shaped line” claim that was not recognised
internationally.
He added that China is intentionally turning undisputed areas into disputed ones with reasonless claims.
In fact, these lots are totally within Vietnam’s 200-nautical mile continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, he affirmed.
This is not the first time China has conducted illegal activities
violating Vietnam’s waters. Vietnam has opposed China’s previous
violations via the diplomatic channel along with protesting in the field
and launching communication campaigns to make it understand and not
repeat similar violations.
Regarding the current situation at the site, Ngo Ngoc Thu, Deputy
Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard High Command, confirmed that
Vietnam has not sent any frogmen to the site nor dropped any object
there.
Deputy
Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard High Command, Ngo Ngoc Thu, speaking at the conference
Nets and floating things fished out by Chinese ships were those left by
Vietnamese fishing boats operating normally in Vietnam’s waters escaping
from intimidation of Chinese vessels, said Thu.
Debris that were collected and brazenly claimed as evidence by the
Chinese side were fragments from Vietnamese boats after being rammed and
fired high-pressure water cannon at by Chinese ships, he added.
Although Chinese ships have kept on violently blocking, ramming and
firing water cannons at Vietnamese ships, Vietnamese coast guard and
fisheries surveillance authorities still practised utmost restraint,
trying to avoid any clash with Chinese ships.
Vietnamese vessels have not fired water cannons back at Chinese ships,
but only used spoken words to demand China remove its rig and all
defending vessels from Vietnam’s waters, noted Thu.
According to Ha Le, Deputy Head of the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance
Department, Vietnamese fisheries surveillance ships at the site
continued to keep calm and managed to shun clash with Chinese ships.
They also persistently used all peaceful measures to request China
withdraw from Vietnam’s waters that it is violating, he said.
Vietnamese ships will continue their law enforcement missions at sea,
resolutely protecting the national sovereignty and safeguarding
fishermen in their traditional fishing grounds, Le added.
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